Sweet 16
by lizandhenry
Summary: 16 is an important milestone for Elizabeth.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So it's been a LONG time. I know. Life has been really busy and I haven't been writing at all. This idea came to me and I figured it would a good way to get writing again. I haven't forgotten about Love Letters. I actually have pieces of a couple versions of the next part written. Just need to decide which way to go with it and finish. Easier said than done. But thank you for your patience and i hope you enjoy this. It was going to a be a one shot. But it turned into a 2 part-er. Part 2 is already written and should be posted this week sometime (my schedule permitting).**

 **A/N 2: regarding the timing...as we have all tried the M Sec timeline never fully matches up. So on the show it says Elizabeth left the CIA in 2005, But based on the 1983 note of her parents death, and Jase being born sometime in 2001, I placed this story in 2003.**

September 2003

"I'm sorry our date night got cancelled, babe. I'll make it up to you." Henry whispered as he shifted Jason in his arms.

"It's okay." Elizabeth whispered back, running her hand along Jason's head – checking his temperature. "We can celebrate this weekend."

Henry leaned over and kissed her forehead. "You're the greatest."

"It's like you always say, this is normal life. Kids get sick." She sighed and he let out a small laugh.

That morning they'd discussed plans for a dinner date after teaching their classes. Elizabeth had even arranged for Miss Janey to watch this kids, but they got a call mid-day from Jason's daycare that he'd had a fever and needed to be picked up, putting the kibosh on their date.

It wasn't what most would all a milestone anniversary - the 16th anniversary of their first date. In fact, they often just did little things to acknowledge it. But this year Elizabeth had surprised Henry by suggesting they go out for Italian, as they did on their very first date, as it was a milestone for her. Elizabeth had recently quit the CIA and was enjoying the time with her family. But she and Henry were still working things out after his ultimatum and he welcomed the alone time with her.

"I should take him back to bed." Henry whispered after a few more minutes.

"Nah. He'll probably wake up again. We should just let him sleep here." Elizabeth reasoned and scooted closer to Henry. "Here, I'll lay him on my side."

Henry nodded and passed his sleeping toddler to his wife and watched her gently lay him atop the sheets on her side of the bed.

When she was done she snuggled up to her husband and he welcomed her into his arms. "And then I can sleep closer to you."

Henry ticked her ribs. "Hold that thought will you," he said before getting out of bed to get something from the kitchen. While he was gone, Elizabeth took the opportunity to pull an envelope from her nightstand without disturbing Jason and hid it under the pillow.

Henry soon returned with a carry out box and two forks.

"What's that?"

Henry smiled as he settled back in beside her. "Even though our dinner was ruined, I got us dessert. Tiramisu from Luigi's. Happy Anniversary babe."

Elizabeth perked up immediately at the word dessert. "You are so handsome." She smiled, digging into her dessert. "You definitely know the way to my heart."

"I didn't want it to be a total bust. When the daycare called, I called in a carryout while you went to pick up Jase." Henry explained in-between bites.

Elizabeth looked up and kissed him gently and took a breath, reaching for the envelope and handing it to him. "I'm glad it wasn't a total bust because I have something I have to give to you tonight."

Henry looked perplexed as he took the envelope and noted the serious look in Elizabeth's eye.

"It's just something…..this anniversary is one that holds a lot of meaning for me. And I wanted you to know why. So please just read it. I wrote it because I wasn't sure that when I got to this moment I'd be able to remember everything or get it out without breaking down, so…." She pointed, encouraging him to read.

Henry opened the envelope to find a letter in Elizabeth's beautiful handwriting.

 _Dear Henry,_

 _You may not realize today's anniversary of our first date holds a special significance to me. Or perhaps you do, because you know me better than anyone. But today is the 16_ _th_ _anniversary of our first date. This means that I've now known you longer than I have known my parents._

 _When my parents died, the years that followed were dark and I lost a part of myself. I never thought I'd be able to be loved, or be able to count on someone ever again. Then I met you. And you slowly broke down all of my walls and loved me when I was un-loveable. You filled a void I never thought could be filled, and made me whole again. When I was scared I'd fallen too hard for you, you promised me that you'd never ever break my heart and you have kept your promise. Today, 16 years later I still love you more than anything. You have filled my life with love, and given me a family I never thought I could have. Although I still miss them and always will - my good memories with you outweigh any of my bad ones in the years I was alone._

 _What today means to me is that you have been my constant longer than they were. You the one who has been present in my life for the longest, the one who now shares a majority of my memories. You are my family, my heart and my everything and today means more to me that you'll even know. And each day more that we are together is one more day then I thought possible, and one more day that makes the dark times a little less dark._

 _Happy 16_ _th_

 _All my love,_

 _Elizabeth_

Henry had tears forming in the corners of his eyes as he finished reading. Elizabeth did too. "Babe." He breathed, leaning in to kiss her softly. When this kiss broke, he caressed her check with his thumb. "You are the most incredible woman I've ever known. I knew you were special when I first met you. Having you in my life has been my greatest gift. I should be the one thanking you….for choosing me. Loving you, and being your husband has been my great honor. "

Elizabeth choked back a sob at her husband's response to her letter. "Henry…."

He pulled her close and kissed her hair. "Shhh. It's okay."

"I love you Henry." She managed, and pulled back to look him in the eye. "And I know the past couple years were hard with my old job, but I am so grateful that you reminded me of what's most important. I'm sorry I lost sight of that in the fog of 9/11. Because this, me and you, and the kids are my world."

"I knew you'd come around." He winked at her, lightening the mood.

"I love you Henry."

"Love you too babe."

They smiled and started kissing slowly and gently, exploring each other's mouths with their tongues. Soon a little voice interrupted them.

"Mommy?" came the voice of little Alison.

Henry and Elizabeth reluctantly broke apart with a blush, and turned to face their middle daughter who stood in their doorway with a blotchy face and her stuffed rabbit. "What sweetheart?"

"I had a bad dream. Can I sleep with you?"

Since Jason was already in bed, they nodded. "Sure sweetheart. Be careful not to wake up Jase okay." Elizabeth told her as she patted the bed.

Alison didn't head her mother's instructions and bounded on the bed between her parents and snuggled up to her mom telling her about her scary dream whilst her mom wiped her tears. "It's okay baby. It was just a dream. You are safe here with us."

Ali nodded and turned to her father, "Daddy, will you check my room again while I say here with Mommy?"

"Of course sweetheart."

Henry smiled at his girls as he left to check Alison's room for monsters. He checked on Stevie on his way back and she appeared to be sleeping soundly.

Returning to the room he settled in next to Alison, with Elizabeth laying between Ali and Jason. "All clear of those monster's Ali." Henry reported.

"Okay good. Now I can sleep." She explained.

Elizabeth giggled. "Thanks for checking for those monsters, professor."

Henry laughed softly and as soon as he settled in, another shadow and a scared voice appeared in their doorway.

"Daddy?" came Stevie's voice.

"Yes sweetheart?" He asked, sitting up to give her his full attention.

"The thunder is really loud. Can I sleep here where it's quieter?"

Since the other kids were already in bed, he nodded and motioned her over. While Elizabeth gently scooted Jason, herself and Alison over a bit to make room for Stevie.

Henry got out of bed and Stevie slipped in next to Alison, before he got in back in.

When everyone was settled in the now crowded bed, Henry reached across Alison & Stevie and brushed a strand of hair behind his wife's ear. "Some anniversary huh?"

"I wouldn't trade it for the world."


	2. Chapter 2

AN: _Hi guys! I'm sorry I forgot to post this second part a while back. But here it is. Its short, but it's something I always wonder about when I watch Tamerlane/Face the Nation. Enjoy._

March 2015

It didn't seem real until Elizabeth walked downstairs to see her children that morning. She was going to Iran to stop a coup; on the eve of her middle daughter's 16th birthday. Even then she was scared about the possibility of what might happen. But she had a security detail with her; she was just being overly cautious, or so she thought.

She'd offered to do the laughy string fight that morning, but Alison wouldn't hear of it. She reluctantly agreed as to not tip them off, and added it to her list of reasons she needed to come home and hugged them all goodbye. She held them all a little longer then she usually did before a work trip. It seemed only Stevie had picked up on what her mother was doing and her father's face as he observed her. But Stevie played along and she appreciated that.

She wasn't stull quite sure how she made it home in one piece. But the emotional toll was far greater. On herself, and on her family. Henry told her that Ali & Stevie knew, that they'd figured it out and stayed up all night with him worried sick. She hated that they knew, and hated the worry she caused. What she'd yet to tell Henry is that she too was terrified she wouldn't come home; and that she'd almost left Alison & Will at nearly the same ages in which her parents left her. And that's what hurt the most. She'd almost left them willingly. She knew the risks and went anyway.

She sat on the couch with Henry as they played the video game to avoid talking. Henry had been glad she'd come home from work after her panic attack. And he knew she needed time to process things. He'd seen conflict zones, so he understood. They told each other everything and he hoped she would finally be ready to open up.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Fred & the guys on my detail died because I went to Iran." That was part of it too. She'd start with facts.

"Babe, they died doing their job. Protecting their country from a war."

"They died because of me."

"You did not push Fred Cole in front of the gunfire. You know he would do it again."

Okay. She'll give him that. It didn't make it suck any less. But she moved on to another topic Henry was not aware of. "Then there's Abdul."

"Javani's son?"

"He was there too, in the room. He saw his father die. I wanted to protect him so badly, at least from seeing that. No child should witness that."

Henry sat up and moved to pull her into his arms. "Then there's Aly and Jase." She whispered from the safety of his arms. "I almost left them at the same age as Will & I were when my parents died. I almost ruined Aly's birthday forever."

Henry tightened his hold on her as the sobs came. "Oh babe." When her crying subsided a bit, he wiped her tears gently with his thumbs. "But you didn't. You came back to us. You can't think about that anymore, because you are here now and that's all that matters."

She was. But she couldn't help but think of how she *almost* did what to her kids something she vowed never to do; leave them at age 15. But she didn't. She fought, and came back. For her. For Henry. For Them. And for that, she thanked her lucky stars.


End file.
